Gaskets are well-known structures frequently utilized to create seals between two or more structures. Gaskets are frequently employed in internal combustion engines to provide liquid and gas seals between the various components of the engine.
In one application, at least one gasket may be located between a cylinder head and a cylinder block to provide a seal between these components. Some engines utilize a liner incorporated within the engine block. The liner may have a raised feature which can be triangular or trapezoidal in cross-section. The liner may extend entirely about the combustion opening.
Gaskets have been developed to accommodate the raised feature with limited success. It has been found that these gaskets do not provide a robust combustion seal and typically they crack at the raised liner feature. The limitations of these gaskets may be attributed to the fact that they concentrate the initial loading at the raised liner feature. Unfortunately, however, this design leads to the above problems and it may also result in mechanical damage to the gasket and/or the raised feature on the liner. Therefore, it would be preferable to have a gasket that accommodated the raised liner feature, effectively seal and minimize or eliminate the potential for damage to the gasket and/or the raised feature.